scholarly journals Fate of river Tiber discharge investigated through numerical simulation and satellite monitoring

Ocean Science ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 773-786 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Inghilesi ◽  
L. Ottolenghi ◽  
A. Orasi ◽  
C. Pizzi ◽  
F. Bignami ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Dispersion Model ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Light Attenuation ◽  
River Estuary ◽  
Ocean Model ◽  
Particle Dispersion ◽  
Satellite Monitoring ◽  
Tyrrhenian Sea ◽  
Buoyant Jet

Abstract. The aim of this study was to determine the dispersion of passive pollutants associated with the Tiber discharge into the Tyrrhenian Sea using numerical marine dispersion models and satellite data. Numerical results obtained in the simulation of realistic discharge episodes were compared with the corresponding evolution of the spatial distributions of MODIS diffuse light attenuation coefficient at 490 nm (K490), and the results were discussed with reference to the local climate and the seasonal sub-regional circulation regime. The numerical model used for the simulation of the sub-tidal circulation was a Mediterranean sub-regional scale implementation of the Princeton Ocean Model (POM), nested in the large-scale Mediterranean Forecasting System. The nesting method enabled the model to be applied to almost every area in the Mediterranean Sea and also to be used in seasons for which imposing climatological boundary conditions would have been questionable. Dynamical effects on coastal circulation and on water density due to the Tiber discharge were additionally accounted for in the oceanographic model by implementing the river estuary as a point source of a buoyant jet. A Lagrangian particle dispersion model fed with the POM current fields was then run in order to reproduce the effect of the turbulent transport of passive tracers mixed in the plume with the coastal flow. Two significant episodes of river discharge in both winter and summer conditions were discussed in this paper. It was found that the winter regime was characterized by the presence of a strong coastal jet flowing with the ambient current. In summer the prevailing wind regime induced coastal downwelling conditions, which tended to confine the riverine waters close to the shore. In such conditions sudden wind reversals due to local weather perturbations, causing moderate local upwelling, proved to be the only effective way to disperse the tracers offshore, moving the plume from the coast and detaching large pools of freshwater.

scholarly journals Fate of river Tiber discharge investigated through numerical simulation and satellite monitoring

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 1599-1649 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Inghilesi ◽  
L. Ottolenghi ◽  
A. Orasi ◽  
C. Pizzi ◽  
F. Bignami ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Dispersion Model ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Light Attenuation ◽  
River Estuary ◽  
Ocean Model ◽  
Particle Dispersion ◽  
Satellite Monitoring ◽  
Tyrrhenian Sea ◽  
Buoyant Jet

Abstract. The aim of this study was to determine the dispersion of passive pollutants associated with the Tiber discharge into the Tyrrhenian Sea using numerical marine dispersion models and satellite data. Numerical results obtained in the simulation of realistic discharge episodes were compared with the corresponding evolution of the spatial distributions of MODIS diffuse light attenuation coefficient at 490 nm (K490), and the results were discussed with reference to the local climate and the seasonal sub-regional circulation regime. The numerical model used for the simulation of the sub-tidal circulation was a Mediterranean sub-regional scale implementation of the Princeton Ocean Model (POM), nested in the large-scale Mediterranean Forecasting System. The nesting method enabled the model to be applied to almost every area in the Mediterranean Sea and also to be used in seasons for which imposing climatological boundary conditions would have been questionable. Dynamical effects on coastal circulation and on water density due to the Tiber discharge were additionally accounted for in the oceanographic model by implementing the river estuary as a point source of a buoyant jet. A Lagrangian particle dispersion model fed with the POM current fields was then run, in order to reproduce the effect of the turbulent transport of passive tracers mixed in the plume with the coastal flow. Two significant episodes of river discharge in both Winter and Summer conditions were discussed in this paper. It was found that the Winter regime was characterized by the presence of a strong coastal jet flowing with the ambient current. In Summer the prevailing wind regime induces coastal downwelling conditions, which tend to confine the riverine waters close to the shore. In such conditions sudden wind reversals due to local weather perturbations, causing strong local upwelling, proved to be an effective way to disperse the tracers offshore, moving the plume from the coast and detaching large pools of freshwater.

scholarly journals Large-Scale Atmospheric Dispersal Simulations Identify Likely Airborne Incursion Routes of Wheat Stem Rust Into Ethiopia

2017 ◽  
Vol 107 (10) ◽  
pp. 1175-1186 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Meyer ◽  
L. Burgin ◽  
M. C. Hort ◽  
D. P. Hodson ◽  
C. A. Gilligan
Keyword(s):  
Stem Rust ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Dispersion Model ◽  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Particle Dispersion ◽  
East African ◽  
Wheat Stem Rust ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
African Rift

In recent years, severe wheat stem rust epidemics hit Ethiopia, sub-Saharan Africa’s largest wheat-producing country. These were caused by race TKTTF (Digalu race) of the pathogen Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici, which, in Ethiopia, was first detected at the beginning of August 2012. We use the incursion of this new pathogen race as a case study to determine likely airborne origins of fungal spores on regional and continental scales by means of a Lagrangian particle dispersion model (LPDM). Two different techniques, LPDM simulations forward and backward in time, are compared. The effects of release altitudes in time-backward simulations and P. graminis f. sp. tritici urediniospore viability functions in time-forward simulations are analyzed. Results suggest Yemen as the most likely origin but, also, point to other possible sources in the Middle East and the East African Rift Valley. This is plausible in light of available field surveys and phylogenetic data on TKTTF isolates from Ethiopia and other countries. Independent of the case involving TKTTF, we assess long-term dispersal trends (>10 years) to obtain quantitative estimates of the risk of exotic P. graminis f. sp. tritici spore transport (of any race) into Ethiopia for different ‘what-if’ scenarios of disease outbreaks in potential source countries in different months of the wheat season.

scholarly journals An extended Kalman-filter for regional scale inverse emission estimation

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 29195-29249 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Brunner ◽  
S. Henne ◽  
C. A. Keller ◽  
S. Reimann ◽  
M. K. Vollmer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Kalman Filter ◽  
Dispersion Model ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Estimation Method ◽  
Particle Dispersion ◽  
Montreal Protocol ◽  
Correlated Noise ◽  
Temporal Correlations ◽  
Emission Estimation ◽  
Hfc 152A

Abstract. A Kalman-filter based inverse emission estimation method for long-lived trace gases is presented for use in conjunction with a Lagrangian particle dispersion model like FLEXPART. The sequential nature of the approach allows tracing slow seasonal and interannual changes rather than estimating a single period-mean emission field. Other important features include the estimation of a slowly varying concentration background at each measurement station, the possibility to constrain the solution to non-negative emissions, the quantification of uncertainties, the consideration of temporal correlations in the residuals, and the applicability to potentially large inversion problems. The method is first demonstrated for a set of synthetic observations created from a prescribed emission field with different levels of (correlated) noise, which closely mimics true observations. It is then applied to real observations of the three halocarbons HFC-125, HFC-152a and HCFC-141b at the remote research stations Jungfraujoch and Mace Head for the quantification of emissions in Western European countries from 2006 to 2010. Estimated HFC-125 emissions are mostly consistent with national totals reported to the Kyoto protocol and show a generally increasing trend over the considered period. Results for HFC-152a are much more variable with estimated emissions being both higher and lower in different countries. The highest emissions of the order of 1000 Mg yr−1 are estimated for Italy which so far does not report HFC-152a emissions. Emissions of HCFC-141b show a continuing strong decrease as expected due to its ban under the Montreal Protocol. Emissions from France, however, were still rather large (near 1000 Mg yr−1) in the years 2006 and 2007 but strongly declined thereafter.

scholarly journals Identification of Aerosol Sources in Siberia and Study of Aerosol Transport at Regional Scale by Airborne and Space-Borne Lidar Measurement

2020 ◽  
Vol 237 ◽  
pp. 02014
Author(s):  
Antonin Zabukovec ◽  
Gérard Ancellet ◽  
Jacques Pelon ◽  
J.D. Paris ◽  
Iogannes E. Penner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Fires ◽  
Dispersion Model ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Particle Dispersion ◽  
Airborne Lidar ◽  
Orthogonal Polarization ◽  
Lidar Measurement ◽  
Imaging Spectrometer ◽  
Modis Aod ◽  
Moderate Resolution

Airborne lidar measurements were carried out over Siberia in July 2013 and June 2017. Aerosol optical properties are derived using the Lagrangian FLEXible PARTicle dispersion model (FLEXPART) simulations and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) AOD. Comparison with Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) aerosol products is used to validate the CALIOP aerosol type identification above Siberia. Two case studies are discussed : a mixture of dust and pollution from Northern Kazakhstan and smoke plumes from forest fires. Comparisons with the CALIOP backscatter ratio show that CALIOP algorithm may overestimate the LR for a dusty mixture if not constrained by an independent AOD measurement.

scholarly journals Pollutant transport in coastal areas with and without background wind

1997 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 476-486 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Camps ◽  
J. Massons ◽  
M. R. Soler ◽  
E. C. Nickerson
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Dispersion Model ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Coastal Region ◽  
Coupled Model ◽  
Pollutant Dispersion ◽  
Particle Dispersion ◽  
Background Wind ◽  
Meteorological Model ◽  
Pollutant Concentrations

Abstract. A three-dimensional meteorological model and a Lagrangian particle dispersion model are used to study the effects of a uniform large-scale wind on the dispersion of a non-reactive pollutant in a coastal region with complex terrain. Simulations are carried out both with and without a background wind. A comparison between model results and measured data (wind and pollutant concentrations) indicates that the coupled model system provides a useful mechanism for analyzing pollutant dispersion in coastal regions.

Top-down Support of Swiss non-CO2 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reporting to UNFCCC

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephan Henne ◽  
Martin K. Vollmer ◽  
Martin Steinbacher ◽  
Markus Leuenberger ◽  
Frank Meinhardt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nitrous Oxide ◽  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
Dispersion Model ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Particle Dispersion ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Ratio Method ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Halogenated Compound

<p>Globally, emissions of long-lived non-CO<sub>2</sub> greenhouse gases (GHG; methane, nitrous oxide and halogenated compounds) account for approximately 30 % of the radiative forcing of all anthropogenic GHG emissions. In industrialised countries, ‘bottom-up’ estimates come with relatively large uncertainties for anthropogenic non-CO<sub>2</sub> GHGs when compared with those of anthropogenic CO<sub>2</sub>. 'Top-down' methods on the country scale offer an independent support tool to reduce these uncertainties and detect biases in emissions reported to the UNFCCC. Based on atmospheric concentration observations these tools are also able to detect the effectiveness of emission mitigation measures on the long term.</p><p>Since 2012 the Swiss national inventory reporting (NIR) contains an appendix on 'top-down' studies for selected halogenated compound. Subsequently, this appendix was extended to include methane and nitrous oxide. Here, we present these updated (2020 submission) regional-scale (~300 x 200 km<sup>2</sup>) atmospheric inversion studies for non-CO<sub>2</sub> GHG emission estimates in Switzerland, making use of observations on the Swiss Plateau (Beromünster tall tower) as well as the neighbouring mountain-top sites Jungfraujoch and Schauinsland.</p><p>We report spatially and temporally resolved Swiss emissions for CH<sub>4</sub> (2013-2019), N<sub>2</sub>O (2017-2019) and total Swiss emissions for hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and SF<sub>6</sub> (2009-2019) based on a Bayesian inversion system and a tracer ratio method, respectively. Both approaches make use of transport simulations applying the high-resolution (7 x 7 km<sup>2</sup>) Lagrangian particle dispersion model (FLEXPART-COSMO). We compare these 'top-down' estimates to the 'bottom-up' results reported by Switzerland to the UNFCCC. Although we find good agreement between the two estimates for some species (CH<sub>4</sub>, N<sub>2</sub>O), emissions of other compounds (e.g., considerably lower 'top-down' estimates for HFC-134a) show larger discrepancies. Potential reasons for the disagreements are discussed. Currently, our 'top-down' information is only used for comparative purposes and does not feed back into the 'bottom-up' inventory.</p>

scholarly journals Inversion of long-lived trace gas emissions using combined Eulerian and Lagrangian chemical transport models

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (18) ◽  
pp. 9887-9898 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Rigby ◽  
A. J. Manning ◽  
R. G. Prinn
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Initial Conditions ◽  
Dispersion Model ◽  
Chemical Transport ◽  
Particle Dispersion ◽  
Global Network ◽  
Lagrangian Model ◽  
Chemical Transport Model

Abstract. We present a method for estimating emissions of long-lived trace gases from a sparse global network of high-frequency observatories, using both a global Eulerian chemical transport model and Lagrangian particle dispersion model. Emissions are derived in a single step after determining sensitivities of the observations to initial conditions, the high-resolution emissions field close to observation points, and larger regions further from the measurements. This method has the several advantages over inversions using one type of model alone, in that: high-resolution simulations can be carried out in limited domains close to the measurement sites, with lower resolution being used further from them; the influence of errors due to aggregation of emissions close to the measurement sites can be minimized; assumptions about boundary conditions to the Lagrangian model do not need to be made, since the entire emissions field is estimated; any combination of appropriate models can be used, with no code modification. Because the sensitivity to the entire emissions field is derived, the estimation can be carried out using traditional statistical methods without the need for multiple steps in the inversion. We demonstrate the utility of this approach by determining global SF6 emissions using measurements from the Advanced Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment (AGAGE) between 2007 and 2009. The global total and large-scale patterns of the derived emissions agree well with previous studies, whilst allowing emissions to be determined at higher resolution than has previously been possible, and improving the agreement between the modeled and observed mole fractions at some sites.

scholarly journals A meteorological overview of the ARCTAS 2008 mission

2009 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 18417-18478 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. E. Fuelberg ◽  
D. L. Harrigan ◽  
W. Sessions
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Dispersion Model ◽  
Wrf Model ◽  
Particle Dispersion ◽  
Meteorological Conditions ◽  
Atmospheric Composition ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Transport Pathways ◽  
Large Scale Flow ◽  
June July

Abstract. The Arctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft and Satellites (ARCTAS) mission was a multi-aircraft project whose major objective was to investigate the factors driving changes in the Arctic's atmospheric composition and climate. It was conducted during April and June–July 2008. The summer ARCTAS deployment was preceded by a week of flights over and around California to address state issues of air quality and climate forcing. This paper focuses on meteorological conditions during the ARCTAS Spring and Summer campaigns. We examine mission averaged large-scale flow patterns at the surface, 500 hPa, and 300 hPa and determine their departures from climatology. Results from runs of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model are used to describe meteorological conditions on individual days. Our WRF configuration included a nested grid approach that provided horizontal spacing as small as 5 km. Trajectories calculated from the WRF output are used to determine transport pathways to the Arctic, including their origins and the altitudes at which they reach 70° N. We also present backward trajectories from selected legs of individual ARCTAS flights. Finally, the FLEXPART particle dispersion model, with the high resolution WRF data as input, is used to determine the paths of anthropogenic and biomass burning-derived CO. Results show that there was frequent and widespread transport to the Arctic during both phases of ARCTAS and that the three ARCTAS aircraft sampled air having a multitude of origins, following a myriad of paths, and experiencing many types of meteorological conditions.

scholarly journals Estimating regional-scale methane flux and budgets using CARVE aircraft measurements over Alaska

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 185-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean Hartery ◽  
Róisín Commane ◽  
Jakob Lindaas ◽  
Colm Sweeney ◽  
John Henderson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Temperature ◽  
Dispersion Model ◽  
Linear Regression Analysis ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Methane Flux ◽  
Particle Dispersion ◽  
Environmental Drivers ◽  
Study Region ◽  
Ch4 Emissions ◽  
Soil Temperature And Moisture

Abstract. Methane (CH4) is the second most important greenhouse gas but its emissions from northern regions are still poorly constrained. In this study, we analyze a subset of in situ CH4 aircraft observations made over Alaska during the growing seasons of 2012–2014 as part of the Carbon in Arctic Reservoirs Vulnerability Experiment (CARVE). Net surface CH4 fluxes are estimated using a Lagrangian particle dispersion model which quantitatively links surface emissions from Alaska and the western Yukon with observations of enhanced CH4 in the mixed layer. We estimate that between May and September, net CH4 emissions from the region of interest were 2.2 ± 0.5 Tg, 1.9 ± 0.4 Tg, and 2.3 ± 0.6 Tg of CH4 for 2012, 2013, and 2014, respectively. If emissions are only attributed to two biogenic eco-regions within our domain, then tundra regions were the predominant source, accounting for over half of the overall budget despite only representing 18 % of the total surface area. Boreal regions, which cover a large part of the study region, accounted for the remainder of the emissions. Simple multiple linear regression analysis revealed that, overall, CH4 fluxes were largely driven by soil temperature and elevation. In regions specifically dominated by wetlands, soil temperature and moisture at 10 cm depth were important explanatory variables while in regions that were not wetlands, soil temperature and moisture at 40 cm depth were more important, suggesting deeper methanogenesis in drier soils. Although similar environmental drivers have been found in the past to control CH4 emissions at local scales, this study shows that they can be used to generate a statistical model to estimate the regional-scale net CH4 budget.

scholarly journals The CarboCount CH sites: characterization of a dense greenhouse gas observation network

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (19) ◽  
pp. 11147-11164 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Oney ◽  
S. Henne ◽  
N. Gruber ◽  
M. Leuenberger ◽  
I. Bamberger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Flux ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Atmospheric Transport ◽  
Dispersion Model ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Particle Dispersion ◽  
Observation Network ◽  
Simulated Surface ◽  
Swiss Plateau ◽  
Atmospheric Transport Model

Abstract. We describe a new rural network of four densely placed (< 100 km apart), continuous atmospheric carbon (CO2, CH4, and CO) measurement sites in north-central Switzerland and analyze its suitability for regional-scale (~ 100–500 km) carbon flux studies. We characterize each site for the period from March 2013 to February 2014 by analyzing surrounding land cover, observed local meteorology, and sensitivity to surface fluxes, as simulated with the Lagrangian particle dispersion model FLEXPART-COSMO (FLEXible PARTicle dispersion model-Consortium for Small-Scale Modeling). The Beromünster measurements are made on a tall tower (212 m) located on a gentle hill. At Beromünster, regional CO2 signals (measurement minus background) vary diurnally from −4 to +4 ppmv, on average, and are simulated to come from nearly the entire Swiss Plateau, where 50 % of surface influence is simulated to be within 130–260 km distance. The Früebüel site measurements are made 4 m above ground on the flank of a gently sloping mountain. Nearby (< 50 km) pasture and forest fluxes exert the most simulated surface influence, except during convective summertime days when the site is mainly influenced by the eastern Swiss Plateau, which results in summertime regional CO2 signals varying diurnally from −5 to +12 ppmv and elevated summer daytime CH4 signals (+30 ppbv above other sites). The Gimmiz site measurements are made on a small tower (32 m) in flat terrain. Here, strong summertime regional signals (−5 to +60 ppmv CO2) stem from large, nearby (< 50 km) crop and anthropogenic fluxes of the Seeland region, except during warm or windy days when simulated surface influence is of regional scale (< 250 km). The Lägern-Hochwacht measurements are made on a small tower (32 m) on top of the steep Lägern crest, where simulated surface influence is typically of regional scale (130–300 km) causing summertime regional signals to vary from −5 to +8 ppmv CO2. Here, considerable anthropogenic influence from the nearby industrialized region near Zurich causes the average wintertime regional CO2 signals to be 5 ppmv above the regional signals simultaneously measured at the Früebüel site. We find that the suitability of the data sets from our current observation network for regional carbon budgeting studies largely depends on the ability of the high-resolution (2 km) atmospheric transport model to correctly capture the temporal dynamics of the stratification of the lower atmosphere at the different sites. The current version of the atmospheric transport model captures these dynamics well, but it clearly reaches its limits at the sites in steep topography and at the sites that generally remain in the surface layer. Trace gas transport and inverse modeling studies will be necessary to determine the impact of these limitations on our ability to derive reliable regional-scale carbon flux estimates in the complex Swiss landscape.

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